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Community Invited to Meet & Greet New Executive Directors in the City of Santa Ana

Councilmember Vicente Sarmiento and City Manager Raul Godinez II, invite you to a “Meet & Greet” of the City of Santa Ana’s newest Executive Directors: Steven Pham and Minh Thai. The event will take place Thursday, July 19th from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Salgado Community Center – 706 N. Newhope Street, Santa Ana, CA 92703.

“In the spirit of celebrating diversity among our team of public servants, I am pleased that, for the very first time, we have two Executive Directors of Vietnamese descent,” said Councilmember Vicente Sarmiento. “Both Mr. Thai and Mr. Pham have impressive backgrounds of high-quality, ethical service in California public agencies. We know they will be valuable assets to the City and this community.”

The July 19th event will open with an informal networking session, a welcome message from Councilmember Vicente Sarmiento, an introductory comment from City Manager Raul Godinez II, and brief presentations from Minh Thai and Steven Pham. The two Executive Directors will provide information about their goals and visions, as well as how their respective teams incorporate cultural awareness and sensitivity into their daily work. There will be time at the end of the event for questions and answers with the two new Executive Directors.

“We encourage the public to come out and listen, interact, and engage with two of our newest Executive Directors. What can the City and our new team leaders do to better serve you? This is a great opportunity for us to communicate and connect with one another in an informal and open environment,” said Raul Godinez II, City Manager of Santa Ana.

Mr. Thai has applied a solution-oriented and results-driven approach throughout his 25-year career in planning and community development. In his former employment as the Economic Development Director for the City of El Monte, Mr. Thai managed the divisions of Planning, Building and Safety, Code Enforcement, Economic Development, Animal Control, Housing, and Urban Forest Management. This extraordinary diversity led to numerous transformative efforts including the award winning “Vision El Monte” comprehensive General Plan update and over $1 billion of public and private investment opportunities. Prior to the City of El Monte, Mr. Thai worked for Caltrans, the cities of Torrance and Monterey Park as well as non-profit organizations and consulting firms. Mr. Thai strives to create a professional and enjoyable work environment by modeling ethical behavior and leading by example. He is a consensus and bridge builder, responsive to community inquiries and needs, and determined to use his technical expertise to make positive contributions to the City of Santa Ana.

About Steven Pham - Executive Director of Human Resources Department

Mr. Pham is an accomplished Human Resources leader with over 21 years of executive management experience and over 30 years in the profession. He comes to Santa Ana from the City of Orange, where he managed a full-service agency that assisted twelve City departments and eight bargaining units. Mr. Pham’s strong support for employee training and development is reflected in his own educational background, as he holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees as well as a law degree from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law and certification from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government as a Senior Executive Fellow. He also served for many years in the U.S. Navy, rising to the rank of Commander before he retired in 2017. Mr. Pham believes that true and effective leadership is guided by the principles of integrity, ethics, self-discipline, accountability and a deeply held commitment to public service. He is enthusiastic about bringing these personal qualities and his proven record of achievement to the City of Santa Ana.

About City of Santa Ana

Santa Ana is downtown for the world famous Orange County, California. As the County Seat, home to a vibrant evening scene and one of the most diverse communities in California, Santa Ana is gaining national attention for its efforts to innovate and address a changing County. Over 1,200 City employees work hard every day to deliver efficient public services in partnership with our community to ensure public safety, a prosperous economic environment, opportunities for our youth, and a high quality of life for residents. Learn more at http://www.santa-ana.org.